Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 19 : More than 300 passengers were rescued after a monorail broke down due to a power supply failure near Mysore Colony station in Mumbai on Tuesday evening, officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
According to officials, the incident was first reported by a passenger identified as Jivan Mhatre.
Upon receiving information, an 108 ambulance unit and personnel from the BMC, Mumbai Fire Brigade, and local police reached the site and initiated rescue operations. Six passengers who experienced suffocation were treated in the on-site ambulances and later discharged.
Sunil, a passenger who was onboard the monorail, stated that the rescue operations started one hour after the incident occurred, further stating that the train had around 500 passengers onboard.
"I was in the train from 5:30 PM. The rescue operation started after 1 hour. There were at least 500 passengers in the train. This train arrived after a gap of 30 minutes, so the entire train was overloaded with passengers..." he told ANI.
Another passenger said that several senior citizens and kids who were onboard the train faced the issue of suffocation due to the number of passengers.
"Passengers were patient. The train had many senior citizens and kids, and they were facing difficulties... Suffocation was the main problem inside the train..." he told ANI.
BMC, along with fire department personnel and police, rushed to the spot and prompted a swift rescue operation.
BMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Amit Saini confirmed that the rescue operation was actively underway, with fire and police department teams on site.
"Teams of the fire department and police are engaged in the rescue. The rescue operation is underway," said Saini.
Passengers aboard the stranded train also contacted the BMC helpline for immediate assistance.
Meanwhile, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), in a post on social media platform X, said that services between Wadala and Chembur were continuing on a single line and assured that full operations would resume shortly.
"Service update One Monorail train near Mysore Colony station has experienced a minor power supply issue. Our operations and maintenance teams are already on-site and working to resolve it quickly. For now, services between Wadala and Chembur are running smoothly on a single line. We sincerely thank you for your patience and assure you that your safety remains our top priority. Rest assured, normal services will be restored at the earliest," the post read.